April is Be A Donor month

April is Be A Donor month and Kingston Health Sciences Centre is encouraging all staff to learn about the options available to become a donor and help pass on the gift of life. Being a donor can take on many forms. You can register to become an organ and/or tissue donor, or you can explore the opportunity to become a living donor.

For one KHSC staff member, pursuing the opportunity to become a living donor was a simple and straight forward decision.

“I learned through Facebook of a family member who needed a live liver donor and I asked myself, if I can help this young man, then why wouldn’t I?” says Janet Donnelly, Manager of Retail Food Services. “If I can help someone who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to live without a donor, it’s a small sacrifice for me to take a few weeks off to give someone their life back.”

Registering to become an organ and tissue donor or checking your donation status is a simple process that can be done from the comfort of your computer. 

“Oftentimes people think that they have registered to become an organ or tissue donor when they actually haven’t,” says Susan Warr, Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator with the Trillium Gift of Life Network. “Ensuring your donation status is up-to-date is as simple as entering your health card information on the BeADonor website.”

Over the month of April there will be several opportunities across both hospital sites for staff and visitors to learn about the opportunities to become a living donor or organ and tissue donor.

There will be an information booth set up in the main entrance ways of both hospital sites with volunteers on hand who can help answer any questions. As well, food services staff will be sporting Be A Donor t-shirts and green ribbons will be placed on donuts at Tim Horton’s to help raise awareness.

As well, two special ceremonies will be hosted at the KGH site – one for live donors and one to celebrate organ and tissue donors – to thank and recognize those who pursued the opportunity to give the gift of life to others.

“For me, the process of becoming a donor has been a relatively simple process. If you can do something to help save or improve the quality of someone’s life, then why not?” says Donnelly.

Stop by the Be A Donor table to learn more about your options to become a donor or visit www.beadonor.ca . To learn more about the Living Kidney Donor Program at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, please contact the donor coordinator at 613-549-6666 ext 7838 or @email